What Makes a ‘Good’ Argument and How Can We Tell When Someone Is Persuading Us?

A good argument is like a strong story, it has clear parts that make sense together. If someone says, 'I’m tired, so I should eat cake,' that's not very convincing, but if they say, 'I’ve been working all day and need energy, so I should eat cake,' that makes more sense.

When people persuade us, they use words and examples to make their idea seem right. Sometimes they even try to make our emotions work for them, like telling a sad story before asking for something.

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Examples

A child says, 'I want candy now,' and when asked why, replies, 'because I’m tired.' That’s not very convincing.
A parent says, 'You should eat your vegetables because they’re healthy,' and shows you a picture of a green alien, that makes the argument more fun and easier to believe.
A friend says, 'We should play video games tonight because we’ll be bored otherwise.' That’s a simple but good reason.

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Categories: Philosophy · logic,persuasion,critical thinking